Glossary

• Active Turns (Hypnos)

  The Hypnos Spring Unit is a special design. With a conventional spring, a continued application of pressure will compress the spring completely. With a Hypnos spring, you can apply a certain amount of pressure and collapse the spring only so far, you have to apply more pressure to compress the spring further.

  This gradual and progressive response from the spring allows for perfect support - not too firm, not too soft. The spring has been treated with various thresholds throughout, known as Active Turns, and it is these Active Turns that allow for the perfect amount of support.

• Breathability

  Mattresses need to breathe. With the amount of fillings and areas of space within a mattress, they can quickly hold heat and moisture. Over time this can influence the way a mattress behaves and also effect the life span of a mattress. 
  
  Manufacturers have developed different ways of tackling the problem of Breathability in mattresses. Some brands have used vents to allow air to pass through the mattress. Some brands use state-of-the-art materials to cover the mattress, such as Coolmax or Outlast. Memory Foam has a reputation of storing heat and moisture, as foam requires heat to soften up.Memory Foam brands have overcome this problem by applying Coolmax and Outlast, they also use Open Cell technology. This technique is to simply allow the foam to settle with larger spaces between the foam cells. This allows heat and moisture to move freely without getting trapped.
  
  Some mattresses are created in such a way that they do not require any additional Breathability methods. These mattresses are generally the entry level mattresses with Open Coil spring units and not a great deal of fillings.
  
  

• Breather Vent

  See Vents.

• Fillings

  The fillings of each mattress can differ from one another, but largely they include British Lambs Wool and Cotton. Some also feature Latex, Silk and Cashmere.

• Firmness

  MyNextMattress is developing a new and unique solution to the Firmness scale accuracy. Not seen anywhere else in the World, we will be measuring the Firmness of all our mattresses precisely and in detail.
  
  We are the only company in the Country that will actually measure the Firmness of a mattress and give a grading out of 10. We are always aware that choosing your next mattress can be a difficult and time consuming process, therefore we strive to give as much information as possible on every mattress we sell.
  
  The way our system works is by applying weight to a mattress. We will apply weight gradually and measure the amount the mattress dips. The more weight, the more the mattress will 'sink'. We would then measure the distance the mattress dips and plot these measurements (weight and distance) on a graph. This graph can then be used to tell us the Firmness category the mattress fits into, 7 out of 10 for instance.
  
  Our Firmness Device provides a central rod which we apply weights to, on the bottom end there is a disc which pushes into the mattress. The top of this rod supports the weights and will sink according to the 'give' in a mattress. We measure from this point.
  
  As a result of this unique technique, it will be possible for you to shop by the firmness of a mattress, this is not possible anywhere else.

• Guarantee (Hypnos)

  The Hypnos Guarantee extends for a Decade. Your new Hypnos mattress or base will have a leaflet with more information, as well as a form to be completed and sent to Hypnos directly.

• Hypoallergenic

  Put simply, Hypoallergenic materials do not cause the amount of irritation that non-hypoallergenic materials can. Hypoallergenic materials can still cause irritation in some cases, the chances of this are reduced greatly. People with severe allergies and asthma may still have problems with items called hypoallergenic, but the risk is greatly reduced.
  
  Hypoallergenic materials do not omit the same particles and fibres as other non-hypoallergenic materials. These particles are to blame for causing irritation and discomfort and in some cases the irritation can be dangerous. The Hypoallergenic properties of these materials can be created by number of techniques. Some materials (Memory Foam or Latex) are naturally hypoallergenic, others have been chemically treated.

• Orthopaedic

  Orthopaedic mattresses are usually the firmest mattresses on the market. A common mistake made by those with back pain, is to assume that a firm Orthopaedic mattress will be the solution. Personal comfort and a correct diagnosis of the cause of the pain should always be saught before purchasing an Orthopaedic mattress. 
  
  Many brands have 'Ortho' mattresses. Terms used include 'Backcare' or 'Orthocare' and the theme is generally to produce a firmer feeling mattress. The idea is to create a mattress that the body can rest on without sinking in and bending the spine, causing pressure to build up. However, if a lighter person lays on a firmer mattress, they will find the spine will not align correctly as the loaded parts of the body (shoulders, hips etc) are not sitting correctly. For more information on the causes of back pain, click here or read about another solution in the Zoning description.

• Orthos (Hypnos)

  Orthos is Hypnos' term for Orthopaedic. Hypnos use this term for several, Medium/Firm mattresses.

• Pocket Sprung

  Pocket Sprung units are an adaption of the traditional open coil/continuous spring unit. By placing each spring in its own individual 'pocket' (a fabric sock-like pouch), the spring is not joined to any other part of the mattress. The pocket that supports the spring is then joined to its neighbouring pockets and this effect creates a unique feel.
  
  By creating a spring unit in this way, it allows the springs to move independently, rather than sharing the pressure with surrounding springs. This effect allows for much more accurate contour following and a more comfortable feel overall.
  
  If you were to push your hand into a traditionally sprung mattress, the area around your hand would dip/sink too. With Pocket Springs, this sunken area is much more remote and therefore more accurately follows the contours of the pressure source. There are differences in the techniques used to create Pocket Springs, but more or less they remain the same.

• Turn / No Turn

  Some mattresses require turning over, to aid even settlement. Others do not require turning, but will still require rotating.

• Turns (Hypnos)

  This relates to the ReActive and UltraSens spring units. The term Turn is the number of points that the spring has been heat treated, therefore the number of pressure thresholds it can respond to.

• UltraSens (Hypnos)

  Similar to the ReActive spring, but further refined. The UltraSens has more Turns (see above) and has a slightly softer finish on the extreme ends of the spring.